Balto

1995

Action / Adventure / Animation / Drama / Family / History

Synopsis

A half-wolf, half-husky named Balto gets a chance to become a hero when an outbreak of diphtheria threatens the children of Nome, Alaska in the winter of 1925. He leads a dog team on a 600-mile trip across the Alaskan wilderness to get medical supplies. The film is based on a true story which inspired the Iditarod dog sled race.

A half-wolf, half-husky named Balto gets a chance to become a hero when an outbreak of diphtheria threatens the children of Nome, Alaska in the winter of 1925. He leads a dog team on a 600-mile trip across the Alaskan wilderness to get medical supplies. The film is based on a true story which inspired the Iditarod dog sled race.

Tech specs

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by The_Light_Triton7 / 10

Based on a true story

I grew up watching this movie multiple, multiple times as a kid. I had not seen it in probably 15 years when my mother dug it up on Netflix last night and I got to relive this dog-lovers classic. But unlike the last time I watched, I did no research done on the actual true story...but that's for later.

Balto is the story of a half-dog/half-wolf who is the subject of intolerance by the living beings of Nome in the year 1925. Even though he has friends like Boris, the Russian Goose, and Muk & Luk, 2 goofy, fun loving polar bears, He desperately tries to fit in, but no matter what he does, the townsfolk don't trust his wolf side and the dogs of the town wish he would simply cease to exist, especially the vicious husky Steele. But when a sickness overtakes a wave of children in the town, including young Rosie, who's dog Jenna takes a liking to Balto, Balto takes it upon himself to help save the children, with Boris informing him "A dog cannot make this journey alone....but maybe a wolf can."

Now with every "based on a true story" line there's got to be alterations to the story. and some alterations, like adding in comic relief in the form of a Russian goose and a british-accented polar bear are totally acceptable.

But there are details that are left out. For example, The sled run was not made by one dog team, it was actually multiple mushers and 2 leaders - Togo (who we can assume is whom Steele is based upon.) and Balto, a trained, single breed Siberan husky. Togo ran most of the run, but Balto only ran the last leg of the course, and therefore got all the fame. If you really want to know the true story, just dig up the trivia section.

The voice actors do a really good job, although Kevin Bacon sounds too good to play the role of a stray dog like Balto. Bob Hoskins definitely got the Russian snow goose role down very well, although having Robin Williams there would've been really, really fun (But too recognizable...and expensive.) Bridget Fonda for Jenna, She's got the beautiful girl voice. Phil Collins, the guy from Genesis for Muk & Luk, he's not bad but it feels out of place because of his british accent. Rick Moranis & Dave Thomas (Bob & Doug McKenzie) Would've been perfect, but they came later for brother bear. Jim Cummings? What can you say, the guy's a Voice-over legend but you can hear the traces of Tigger in his voice (Tigger from Winnie the pooh, Cummings also provides his voice) And finally, the uncredited Frank Welker as the bear. No really. give him credit. He made a killer angry bear.

Animation-wise, it's very well done. Amblination/DreamWorks always have been able to hold a candle up to Disney (even though Disney's got the firehose to douse it.) look for a cute little reference to E.T. during one scene.

As long as it's still up on Netflix, give this one a view.

Reviewed by bravepawthedog9 / 10

One of the Best Animated Classics to Still Watch in 2017, and Beyond

Balto is still one of my top favorite animated cartoon movies back from the 1990s. I was born in 1992, and my mom bought the VHS copy for me when it came out in 1995, age 3. Since then I've watched it almost once or twice every year up to current 2017, age 25. As I got older, and matured, I got more of the innuendos, and that the story was based off a true story. I also noticed 2 names that I had seen 1 in movies and 1 who was a musician, when I was a teenager. One was Kevin Bacon, who voiced Balto. Second was Phil Collins, who played as Muk and Luk, the two Polar Bears. Phil is also a famous adult-contemporary singer and musician. The story now has me hooked, because I understand the story line, the animation is the classical style from the 1990s that a lot of us still watch as adults born within the 1990s, the movie had great emotional character build up between all the voices, the movie was not boring, and throws a lot of intensity at several parts. The overall story is an emotional one, but in the end it came out as a happy story, and a hero who was a wolf-dog hybrid, and a town full of sick kids who were able to get the vaccine, and get better and healed.

Wonderful in almost every way.

I began watching this movie with middle high expectation especially towards the characters. And it didn't disappoint!

Balto is an outcast among his fellow dogs in this village because he is part wolf. He constantly mocked by this Husky called Steele who is full of himself. The humans in the village shun him claiming he is dangerous, but this little girl named Rosy is kind to him.

Rosy and other children is later stricken by diphtheria and need medicine which is being delivered by sledge. And from that time on the excitement begins.

Kevin Bacon, Bob Hoskins and Jim Cummings do great jobs as Balto, Boris and Steele, respectively.

Some of the characters also have some clever lines here and there. One of my favorites are when a scared Boris say he "almost had people bumps".

But the peak of the movie was the emotional impact the diphtheria- struck village had on me. It was really touching. I won't say more, it would ruin the experience.

The animation is neat, not spectacular, but it has some good scenes and some longer passages with good coloring and backgrounds. Aside from that it is the average traditional animation. The only minor problem is Steele's co-dogs who have this mildly annoyingly formulated of talking. It is not throughout the movie, so it is just nitpicking.